U.K.

Tory group overtakes Labour in Scotland

As the dust settled on Thursday's election, she was quizzed on the politics programme. This was an extraordinary contest, with large swathes of the parliamentary Labour Party not merely predicting a disaster, but actively working for one.

Both the Scottish Greens - with six seats, and the Liberal Democrats - with five seats, could be key in helping the SNP ensure its laws pass through parliament. "One good election doesn't make a revival".

"After this result, and the election campaign of the last few weeks, it's clearer than ever that if we don't stand for this then no-one will".

Mocking Ms Sturgeon's oft-repeated grounds for another referendum, Ms Davidson said her failure to win an overall majority "is a material change in circumstance" for the SNP Government.

Voters punished the opposition Labour Party in Scotland as the results rolled in Friday for local and regional elections - races that underscored divisions in the public mood across the United Kingdom.

A victory for Khan would offer a bit of gloss to what is shaping up as a grim day for Labour, which was pushed to third place in Scotland - where it was once dominant. If there was discontent, it showed up in the Ukip vote and particularly eating into the Labour vote.

 Scotland has historically been a Labour stronghold, but in recent years the party has fallen from favour there.

"My manifesto said in certain circumstances the Scottish Parliament should have the right to propose another referendum".

Political responsibility for this rests with the pseudo-left groups, which have systematically promoted Scottish independence as a supposedly progressive response to Conservative rule and the rightward shift of the Labour Party. The Tories are in power at Westminster but have been in the wilderness north of the border for decades.

Dugdale has consistently identified herself as an opponent of Corbyn and lined up with the right-wing attack on Livingstone.

Corbyn said the party had "a lot of building to do" in Scotland, but said he was pleased with results in England. In the short time since the final election result was announced, the indications are that the First Minister knows change is required, and we are heartened by her stated willingness to work with others. It lost only a handful of council seats and held on to control of major English cities including Birmingham, Newcastle and Sunderland.

With about half the vote counted, Khan was leading.

Also this week: Labour loses its majority in the Welsh Assembly and there's a mixed bag of results across England. The Tories sent leaflets accusing Khan of being a supporter of Muslim extremists to Hindu, Sikh and Tamil voters and warned that Labour would tax the gold jewellery of Indian families.

Goldsmith, whose declared wealth is £281 million, hoped to benefit from accusations that Labour is anti-Semitic. The strength of opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn is particularly under scrutiny, as the races were the first nationwide poll since he took over as leader. "I think Jackson Carlaw is wrong, although we will see, I don't think he will find that there is a majority in the Scottish Parliament in the way he says there is but we will see how that develops". The party is in better shape electorally than it was a year ago, and polling better than when Corbyn was elected.

stayontheblack.com

Tory group overtakes Labour in Scotland